First chapter of Gone Daddy Gone by Cheryl Bradshaw

Shelby McCoy walked the same snowy path through the park that she walked every Monday morning after gym class, but today it felt much different than the other times. Something was off, a restlessness causing such unease she stopped for a moment and scanned the area around her. She saw no one, heard no one, yet a discomforting feeling like she was being watched consumed her. Troubled, she kept her eye on her destination and picked up the pace.

The brittle winter air scratched against her skin like sandpaper, chilling her to the core. She pulled the scarf around her neck a bit tighter, burrowed her face into it, and kept going.

Almost there.

Not much farther now.

Just make it past this next turn and everything will be okay.

One week earlier she’d returned to college in Salt Lake City after spending Christmas break at home with her father and his girlfriend in Jackson Hole. The visit had gone well until the end when she confessed to her father that she’d lied to him about her previous semester’s grades. She had failed two classes, which, in his eyes, violated their agreement—he would foot the bill as long as she maintained a decent grade point average.

“It’s the first semester of the new year, Dad,” she had said. “I always bomb at the beginning. Cut me some slack.”

“You want slack?” he’d replied. “Fine. When you get back to Utah, go out and get a job. Maybe you should be responsible for payin’ your own way from now on.”

She had a job—a good one, in fact—but she couldn’t talk to him about that either.

The rest of the morning had passed in silence. He didn’t speak to her, and she didn’t speak to him. When it came time for her to leave, he’d leaned into her car and planted a kiss on her forehead, telling her to drive safely and to text him when she arrived back in Utah. She’d tried apologizing one last time, but he had just swished a hand through the air and walked away. It wasn’t the way she’d wanted to leave things, and now she regretted the awkwardness between them.

She lifted a gloved hand and wiped a tear from her eye, thinking about what else she hadn’t said when she was back home. She hated college. The only reason she hadn’t dropped out was because she knew how disappointed he would be. It didn’t matter what she said or how she said it—he wouldn’t understand. So what was the point of saying anything at all?

A sound like the cracking of ice startled her back to the present. She slowed down and looked around, again seeing nothing and no one. It was early. The sun hadn’t fully risen, and aside from a few park lamps, visibility was poor. Perhaps what she’d heard had been a rabbit or a squirrel. It was possible. Wasn’t it? When the noise rang out a third time she froze, staring in the direction the sound had come from—a thicket of trees beside her.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

Silence.

“Hello?”

All was still.

Deciding what she’d heard was nothing more than a tree shaking loose snow from its branches, she shrugged it off and again increased her pace.

“Shelby.”

The male voice was faint and low, her name spoken in a whisper.

“Paul, is that you? What, you’re stalking me now? Where are you hiding? Come out. This isn’t funny.”

There was no reply.

“I’m serious, Paul. There’s nothing left to say. Please. You have to stop this, okay? You need to leave me alone.”

Her instincts kicked in, and she realized the man might have been someone other than Paul. Paul would have presented himself by now, springing out from behind a tree or chucking a snowball in her direction. She slid one of her gloves off and shoved a hand into her pocket, feeling around for the miniature can of mace attached to her keychain. The pepper spray had been a gift from Sloane, her father’s girlfriend. When she’d received it, she laughed, thinking Sloane needed to stop being so paranoid about everything. Besides, she was tough and spirited, capable of taking care of herself. She never thought she’d need it, until today.

Now, gripping it in her hand, she was amazed at how much comfort she felt holding the small canister. She pressed it against her chest, her finger on the trigger. If she needed to use it, she’d be ready.

“Shelby McCoy.”

This time when she heard her name, she set off into a sprint, only making it a few feet before tripping over a snow-covered rock and plowing face first to the ground. Bruised and in pain, she pushed herself into a kneeling position and whipped around. She saw no one, but her stalker was there, and he was close, the trudge of his footsteps sounding off in the distance.

He’s close.

Too close.

Get up, girl.

Get up!

Blood dripped off one of her hands, and her left cheek stung like the side of her face had fallen into a cactus. She had lacerations in multiple places, and the mace keychain was nowhere in sight. Heart thumping inside her chest, she brushed her hands along the snow, searching. Come on, come on! Where the hell is it?

Gone.

It was gone.

And she was out of time.

She pounded her fists into the ground and stood. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she dialed Maddie. The call went to voicemail, and she remembered Maddie saying she was sleeping over at someone’s house the night before, a man she’d been dating. She pressed the end button and dialed again, this time trying her father.

Voicemail.

Again.

Voice trembling, she said, “Dad, please pick up. I need you, Daddy. Please. I’m scared. I think someone’s following—”

A gloved hand loomed over her shoulder, ripping the cell phone from her hands. She whipped around, facing the man behind her. He wore a gray beanie, snow goggles, black snow pants, and a jacket, and he was substantial in height, towering over her by at least six inches.

He raised the cell phone above his head, taunting her.

“Give me back my phone, asshole!” she said.

It surprised her when he did what she asked. Then he said, “Call your father one more time. Say goodbye.”

This wasn’t a random attack. It was calculated. She was the target—his target.

Does he know me?

Does he know my dad?

If only she could sprint for home. But she didn’t dare move. He had a pistol pressed against her jacket.

“Go ahead,” he said. “Call your father.”

She put the phone to her ear and made the call, trying to steady her voice when it went to voicemail yet again. She managed to choke out a few simple words, “I love you, Dad. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.”

Snatching the phone away from her, the man pressed the end button on the phone and then chucked the phone deep into a mass of bushes and trees.

His attention temporarily diverted, she grabbed at his beanie, ripping it off of his head. Though daylight was still minutes away, she caught a glimpse of his thick, brown hair. Whoever he was, he wasn’t familiar.

They stared at one another.

“Who are you? How do you know me?”

“It doesn’t matter.”   

“Maybe not to you, but it matters to me. I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”

He grabbed her arm, yanking her toward the trees. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“No! I’m not going anywhere with you.”

She tried to pull away, and he swung around, glaring at her.

“Then you’ll die. I’ll shoot you right here, right now.” He rammed the barrel of the pistol into her gut. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Shelby.”

But it was hard. She wasn’t prepared to die.

Think, Shelby! Do something. Do something now!

She lifted her knee, using all the force she had to drive it right into his crotch. He staggered back, grunting in pain, and she broke free of his grip, running toward Maddie’s.

She could see the front porch light from here.

She could get there.

She could make it.

She had to make it.

“Help! Someone help me, please! Please help!”

The crack of gunfire pierced the air, making it come alive again, the bullet connecting, drilling into her back. The force of it jerked her forward. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and she went down. Seconds later, the man was over her again. He grabbed at the hood of her jacket, gagging her as he yanked her behind him. A front door opened in the distance. Maddie’s neighbor, Karen. She stepped out, staring down the path.

Upon seeing her, the man knelt down, pressing the gun to Shelby’s forehead. “Not another sound.”

He’d get what he wanted, but not because he demanded it. She was in shock, incapable of producing a sound loud enough to carry it where she needed it to go. The neighbor remained outside for a moment and then turned and walked back inside her house.

The impact of the bullet had done its job, and Shelby felt her body shutting down. She blinked through the tears, looking up at the man’s unsteady hand like he wasn’t sure if he could follow through with shooting her a second time if he had to shoot her again. It was strange. She felt his anger and his rage, but she also felt something else.

Did he feel remorse for what he’d just done?

Through staggered breaths, she said, “I’m dying.”

It was an odd thing to say to a stranger who’d just shot her, and she didn’t know why she’d said it. Perhaps it was because there was no one else.

He smoothed a gloved hand over her hair. “I know. I’m sorry it had to be this way.”

Sorry?

He’s sorry?

She wanted to scream, pound her fists into his chest. With what little strength she had left, she reached up, clutching his coat in her hands. “My … dad … will find you. You’ll pay … for this.”